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Orientation
Our monastic Sangha arrived two days early from Stonehill College, where our retreat hosted over 1 100 people committed to finding “a way of life that brings more peace, more stability” in a world still at war and threatened by hurricanes. The heart of this meditation retreat is generating the energy of mindfulness through conscious breathing—our anchor that brings body and mind into one, cultivates clarity and stability, and can be practiced anytime (standing in line, waiting for the bus, at the bank).
Conscious breathing serves as a foundation—like a cargo truck that can carry additional “cargo” (anger, joy, etc.)—and underpins all our practices:
- Three-breath bell: three sounds remind us to stop, relax body and mind, and return to the present.
- Sitting meditation: three mornings and two ceremonies; a three-point foundation (two kneecaps + tailbone), straight but not rigid spine, Soft Belly, Chrysanthemum Posture, pelvis rolled forward.
- Walking meditation: ordinary steps but with full awareness—two steps per in-breath and out-breath (or adjust to your pattern), lifting feet deliberately to “walk like a Buddha.”
- Eating meditation: chew 30–50 times, notice appearance, texture, taste, tongue movements; touch interbeing of food (sun, rain, air, soil), smile at and share meal with community.
- Bells, chime clocks, telephone rings and “electronic liberation” (e.g., turning in cell phones) act as daily “bells of mindfulness.”
- Noble Silence from evening through after lunch teaches us to observe speech, mind, and bodily actions, and use a notebook to record habitual mind reactions.
Choose one practice as a cornerstone to carry into daily life, or for experienced practitioners, explore a new corner—pour the practice into every “nook and cranny” of life to cultivate peace, stability, and freedom from running.
